The End Zone: USC and the Pac-12 look to gather momentum
At the beginning of the season, nearly everyone predicted that the Pac-12 would fade into oblivion as all of its top teams prepared to leave. But after week four, the once legendary conference has quelled these concerns and is showing signs of life.
For the first time in over five years, the Pac-12 looks like a power five conference. The conference has been plagued with mediocrity, with USC, Oregon, or more recently, Utah, running the table. Now, the Pac-12 has four teams in the top 15, more than any other conference besides the SEC.
Three of these teams, Washington, Utah and USC, could realistically make the college football playoffs. Oregon is a very talented team, but the committee will not be able to see past their 49-3 loss at Georgia. Even if they win out, the prevailing argument will be that a team that suffers a loss of that magnitude does not deserve to be among the four best teams in college football.
The Washington Huskies have produced their best start to a season since 2017. New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has injected energy into the offense with an unpredictable and high-paced playbook. The Huskies produced over 500 yards of offense in the first three games.
One of the Huskies’ most significant perceived weaknesses is their defense, particularly the secondary. However, after limiting a skilled Stanford offense, many of these concerns have been put to bed. Washington is gaining momentum heading into a huge Friday night game at UCLA.
USC won a nail-biter at Oregon State Saturday night. Some critics bashed the Trojans’ performance, arguing that a top ten team should not barely beat Oregon State. Others who paid close attention to the game noticed a unique persistence developing within the Trojan defense that should concern Trojan opponents.
Playoff programs find ways to win games in unique ways. The biggest question mark about USC heading into week 4 was their defense, especially after looking completely at times against Fresno State and especially Stanford.
Before this week, the Trojans have won largely due to their offense. Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison have demolished opposing defenses, scoring in piles. Saturday, Williams was off and the defense stepped up, limiting the Beavers to 14 points. In contrast, they scored 68 points last week and over 30 in their other two games.
Senior OL Brett Neilon moving four Oregon State players to push Caleb Williams to a first down in what has already been coined the “Neilson Nudge” is indicative of the Trojans’ gritty approach. USC fought for every yard all game, and could not have looked more different than their lethargic state under Clay Helton.
The USC defense makes up for their lack of superstar talent with a level of tenacity that makes it extremely difficult for opposing teams to score on a consistent basis. USC is tied for first in the nation in turnovers, while also remaining the only team in the nation that has not committed a turnover themselves.
After proving they are a complete team on both sides of the ball, USC deserves their No. 6 ranking, assuming the Trojan offensive performance was a fluke.
Washington and USC both have a new head coach and new starting quarterbacks this season, suggesting both these teams have only begun to show their true potential.
In stark contrast, Kyle Whittingham has held the head coach position at Utah since 2004. After building the program for a few years, the Utes want to win now.
Junior quarterback Cameron Rising is a dark horse for a Heisman, and will likely enter the NFL draft after this season.
Utah also cannot afford to lose again after Florida barely defeated them in the Swamp in the season opener. The USC vs. Utah Matchup on Oct. 15 will likely spoil one of these teams’ playoff aspirations.
Beyond these three teams, the Pac-12 also has many notable teams that don’t quite make the cut as a potential playoff contender but have made this season of in-conference play very entertaining.
UCLA is undefeated, which is impressive on paper, but a closer look at their schedule reveals they still have not been tested by a legitimate team. They will have the opportunity to prove themselves against Washington Friday night in what should be one of the most riveting games of the week.
WSU, OSU and Cal are all one-loss teams that missed the first list by the skin of their teeth. OSU gave the Trojans a run for their money this weekend, while WSU did the same to Oregon.
The result of this environment is a Pac-12 with very few off weeks in comparison to past seasons. USC cannot afford to drop any more games than one if they want to make a case to the playoff committee, and the latter half of their schedule is loaded with tough matchups.
In any event, the Pac-12 has looked like an entirely new conference this season, reloaded with new talent and heightened watchability. The timing is strange, given USC and UCLA’s imminent departure, but entertaining nonetheless.